


beauty no matter the color

by Tachi_Sakon



Series: Ghibli Oneshots [1]
Category: Howl - Fandom, Howl no Ugoku Shiro | Howl's Moving Castle, Howl's Moving Castle - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Era, Canon Universe, During Canon, F/M, Fluff, Gentleness, Howl’s Hair, Insecurity, Kissing, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:22:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28279062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tachi_Sakon/pseuds/Tachi_Sakon
Summary: She decided that she loved him no matter what. Sophie would love Howl no matter what he looked like, what he did, how he did it.And that included hair color.
Relationships: Sophie Hatter/Howl Pendragon
Series: Ghibli Oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2071581
Kudos: 105





	beauty no matter the color

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Sophie nearly burst into tears as she watched the warlock wail and choke on his sobs as he sat on the large bed in the middle of the room, hunched over and gripping his hair in his fists. 

“I can’t believe this! I can’t believe this— my hair, _my hair!_ ” 

Sophie felt at complete loss at what to do. She took a deep breath and slowly made her way towards the bed, hands outstretched. “Howl,” she whispered softly, stopping at the white mattress and kneeling in front of the wailing wizard. 

Howl refused to meet the girl’s gaze, leaving his head hung, newly colored tresses hanging over his face like dark drapes. “Black. It’s _black_ and _horrid_..”

“Howl, look at me, please?” Sophie tried again, placing a hand on Howl’s arm. She let out a sigh of relief as Howl slowly raised his head. “There, now we can—” she trailed off as her eyes met Howl’s. The warlock’s eyes were red and puffy, tears flowing freely; cascading down his flushed cheeks, his lips quivering as he stumbled over his words. 

“M-my hair,” Howl gasped, the tears spilling faster, plopping from long lashes onto his running nose, “my hair—” 

Sophie’s heart clenched with every broken sob, with every distraught ‘ _my hair_ ’ that escaped Howl’s lips. “Your hair,” she whispered reaching up and gently brushing dark strands away from the warlock’s face before cupping his blotching cheeks in her hands, thumbing away tears, “what happened?” 

Howl shook his head, his bangs sticking to his forehead; eyes squeezed shut as he bit down on his lower lip. 

“Stop that, you’ll hurt yourself!” Sophie gasped. “Howl, please!” 

“My beautiful hair!” Howl cried, eyes fluttering open, mouth trembling as fresh tears spilled from his watering, blue eyes. 

The girl pulled her sleeve over her right hand and began to wipe at Howl’s face. “It’s still beautiful,” she said, “Howl looks beautiful with any color hair.” 

Howl shook head head again, hiccuping on a sob. “No! Now it’s all black and ugly, and..” he stammered, “and, Sophie won’t love me anymore!” 

“Don’t say that! Of course I will, Howl!” 

“Sophie will hate me!” 

“Howl,” Sophie interrupted quickly, grasping Howl’s face in her hands and squishing her palms against his cheeks, “Howl, stop that and—” 

“I’m no longer how—” 

“ _Howl_!” 

Howl cut himself off with a gasp and raised his eyes to meet Sophie’s sparkling ones again, actions timid. 

“Howl please listen to me,” the girl pleaded. Leaning closer, she nuzzled her nose against Howl’s runny one, uncaring and pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks, “you’re still the most beautiful, breathtaking person in my eyes. Blonde hair or not.” 

Howl made to protest, mouth parted slightly. “B-but—” 

Sophie shook her head. “No but’s.” She murmured, her lips slowly finding the warlock’s bitten ones. “You are beautiful no matter what color hair you have.” She gave Howl a quick yet gentle peck. “Even grey.” 

“ _Grey_?” Howl breathed as Sophie leaned in again, placing her lips over his for longer; kissing him slowly. “I hope not.”   
  
  
  
“You’ll still be beautiful so you have nothing to worry about.” Sophie replied as they broke apart.   
  
  


Howl flushed and allowed a watery smile to cross his lips. “I should be saying those words to you, Sophie.” He murmured quietly. “You are the only one truly worthy of those words, after all.”   
  
  


“Howl,” 

  


“Yes?”   
  
  


“Can I kiss you?”   
  
  


Howl leaned away from Sophie, eyes going wide as the last few free tears dripped down his cheeks, blinking at her. “I-I—” he began, watching the girl intently for any signs of a joke. “Well— I mean.. why?”   
  


  
“I want to.” Sophie answered softly.   
  


  
The smile faded from Howl’s face, replacing itself with a saddened expression. “But I’m so horrid looking like this,” he sighed. “Sophie shouldn’t get anything less than what she is worth.”   
  


  
“Are you saying that I don’t deserve you?” Sophie hummed.  
  


  
“I’m saying that I am not worthy of you, my dear.” Howl replied. “Not right now, for sure.”   
  
  


“But I want Howl right now.” Sophie smiled, caressing the warlock’s lower lip with her thumb. “All snotty nosed, red cheeked and teary eyed, black haired Howl. I want him like this.”   
  


  
Howl felt his legs give out despite not even using them. Sophie’s words alone were enough to make him go weak, but her honesty delivered the final blow. “A-are you..” he hesitated, “sure?”   
  


  
Sophie nodded. “Very.”   
  


  
Howl raised an eyebrow at her, but ultimately gave in. “As the lady wishes,” he sighed.

Sophie beamed and let out a small squeal before standing up from where she kneeled before Howl and threw herself at him, toppling them both over on the bed; Howl beneath her, her hands placed at either side of his head, his dark hair sprawled out behind him on the mattress, their legs dangling off the sides. “I love you,” she whispered as she lowered her head, lips placing themselves on Howl’s jaw, kissing the perfectly sculpted bone before slowly trailing down to his neck, “so much.”   
  
  


“And I you,” Howl murmured, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.   
  


  
As if Sophie were able to see his face, she immediately lifted her face out of the crook of Howl’s neck and gazed into his eyes. “Did I do something wrong?” She asked quickly. “If so I am sorry!”   
  


  
Howl shook his head. “You did absolutely nothing wrong, dear. If anything, I did.”   
  


  
“Why are you crying again?”   
  
  


“Just thinking,” 

“About?”   
  


  
Howl offered Sophie a shaking smile. “About how lucky I am to have you, Sophie.”   
  


  
Sophie let out a small laugh before leaning back in and capturing Howl’s mouth with hers, lips molding together comfortably; mouths moving together and tongues trying, sloppily, to keep up with the other. Howl groaned at the back of his throat and lazily raised his arms to wrap them around the back of Sophie’s neck, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss; his mouth moving against hers almost desperately. Their tongues tangled and untangles messily as they kissed feverishly, Howl’s now black hair sticking to his tear stained and flushed face, bangs ruffled. But Sophie couldn’t bring herself to care. Not when Howl was at his most vulnerable with her and craving her affection.   
  


  
“Sophie,” Howl breathed, eyes closed as he repeated her name like a prayer, “Sophie, Sophie, _Sophie_..” 

“Howl,” Sophie replied, voice rasping. “Howl.”   
  


  
Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying the little sounds that occasionally escaped Howl. The soft little gasps that caught in his throat every time she would suck on his lower lip, the gentle groans that he let slip every time she trailed fluttery kisses along his jaw and those breathy moans— a small shudder passed down her neck and shoulders. The way the warlock’s hands fisted her blouse, clutching at her and pulling her closer and closer to him with need made her heart thud loudly in her ears. Smiling all the same, Sophie let out a gentle growl of her own and moved to swipe her tongue across Howl’s lower lip again, savoring the taste; marveling at how quickly the color morphed form a glossy pink to a deep red.   
  


  
“ _God_ ,” Howl growled.   
  


  
“You rival even God’s beauty,” Sophie teased, “I see no reason for you to be calling out to him.”   
  


  
“I am not calling out to him. I do not need to,” Howl hummed as Sophie stroked his hair. “Not when I have you.”   
  


  
Sophie thumbed Howl’s throbbing lips gently, staring down at him, eyes soft. “You are beautiful Howl. I don’t know why you would even dare say otherwise.”   
  


  
“Because I know that my Sophie deserves only the very best,” came the hoarse reply.   
  


  
Sophie’s face flushed. “I love you too,” she whispered burying her face into the crook of Howl’s neck before sucking one last mark into the pale skin.   
  


  
Howl chortled and hugged Sophie around her shoulders. “I love you more,” he whispered into her ear.   
  


* * *

  
  


“Are you feeling better now?” Sophie whispered, stroking Howl’s cheeks fondly.  
  


  
Howl nodded. “Much,” he said. “Thank you my dear. If not for you, I don’t know what I would have done.”   
  


  
“That’s only to be expected,” Sophie laughed, earning a sigh from Howl. “Anyways, are you ready to go and eat dinner? The Granny is waiting.”   
  


  
Howl stared at Sophie with wide eyes, his disbelief clear. “But she’ll noice,” he murmured pointing at the marks Sophie had planted all along his neck.   
  


  
Sophie pressed a kiss to Howl’s nose. “You wear a high collared cape.” She murmured. “How would she see them, unless she could see through cloth.”   
  


  
“You’d be surprised,” 

Sophie laughed and moved Howl’s hand away from his neck, replacing fingers with her lips, kissing over the marks. “It’ll be fine, won’t it?” She asked, lips moving against the sensitive skin.   
  


  
Howl smiled down at Sophie. “Of course. I’m perfectly fine with my little lady marking me for a change.”   
  


  
The two settled in a comfortable silence, sitting together; wrapped in a blanket, cuddling up to each other. Sophie shattered the silence.   
  


  
“God, thank you for letting me meet Howl.” Sophie whispered, voice wobbling with emotions that she only felt around Howl. “Thank you so much.”   
  


  
Howl smiled softly and nodded. “Thank you, God, for pushing Sophie towards me.”


End file.
